Lamine Yamal claims his age should not be a factor in deciding the Ballon d’Or: ‘I’m a player who makes a difference’

Lamine Yamal claims his age should not be a factor in deciding the Ballon d’Or: ‘I’m a player who makes a difference’ Lamine Yamal’s World Cup campaign was not special, and that continues to be his biggest hurdle in winning the Ballon d’Or this year. While he continues to be one of the frontrunners, there is no clear favourite for the current edition of the award, and several players have come out to openly campaign for the award in recent weeks. Beyond just his words in interviews , however, Yamal stepped up last night in Spain’s win over England to give his side the early lead and could well have finished the game with at least two assists to his name. Yamal’s case for the Ballon d’Or One of the best in the business. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) The young phenom spoke to The Guardian via Fabrizio Romano in a recent interview where he opened up on why he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or and made a strong case for himself. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s just this year that I’ve been at the level to win the Ballon d’Or, but it’s been for a longer time,” he began, making his stance clear. The winger then spoke on how his age should not be a factor in deciding the award given his level and how he has fought on the same elite level as all other contenders. “Everybody knows it, and they know I’m a player who makes a difference. I believe some people think: Lamine is 19, he’ll win Ballon d’Or someday, so let’s give it to someone else.” Finally, Yamal spoke on how winning is integral to his journey and how the results in his career will separate him from the herd over time. “I just have to 𝐰𝐢𝐧, 𝐰𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐧, and there’ll come a moment when there won’t be any debate. There will be people who love it and others who say: 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠… and that’s normal.” What are Yamal’s chances? Mbappe has been campaigning hard for the award. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) Yamal’s season for Barcelona was phenomenal, and the numbers speak volumes about how he was one of the team’s most important players in a campaign where Raphinha was largely injured. Winning the World Cup with Spain in addition to his two domestic titles, needless to say, makes him a strong contender for the award despite the fact that his numbers at the World Cup were not special. Given that Spain did not have any single standout contributor to the title, Yamal’s chances as a victor drastically increase. His primary competitors, however, are Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé.